Keeping Up With Software

KEY TO SUCCESS

Company: Software manufacturers

Project: Updating current products

Key to success: Many software companies offer free downloadable updates to current product offerings. Staying up to date on software can save a sign maker time and money, without the cost of fully replacing your current product.

Aurora Graphics library of wrap designs helped Alvin Barkeloo of Wizard Wraps to create this powerful shop truck wrap.

No one enjoys updating software, particularly when there are more pressing matters at hand, like actually doing what you’re paid to do. Unfortunately, we live in a place some like to call “reality,” and the reality is that software developers are constantly updating their software. At least it seems that way.

But that doesn’t mean you need to spend an arm and a leg keeping up. Before you decide to buy the latest and greatest, evaluate your current software. Have you downloaded the latest software updates? Are the printer drivers and firmware updated as well?

FIRST THINGS FIRST

“All software manufacturers release free updates throughout the product lifecycle. The best way in which to educate yourself about this is to visit the manufacturer’s website, technical support or user forum channels once every few weeks to see if an update has been released and for what reason,” says Michael Chramtchenko, director of marketing at CADlink Technology in Ottawa. “Users should actually visit these sites on a regular basis, not only in search of update information, but also to leverage the wealth of tips, tricks and general software information contained on these sites.”

SA International (SAi) provides free updates, drivers and profiles for users who log onto www.SAintl.biz and click the Downloads link.

SAi customers with the latest releases can also use their Check for Software Updates feature in the Help menu of the software, which “phones home” to look for what might be missing or needed.

It’s easy to miss important free software updates and write them off as spam when they show up in your e-mail’s inbox, especially since it’s the method most often used to communicate those updates. And here’s where that dreaded reality comes into play again: Our inboxes are being inundated by so much “stuff” that it’s getting more difficult to tell spam from the real thing. Plus, who has time to delve through hundreds of e-mails to pick and choose the ones that matter?

One solution is to organize the folders in your inbox to automatically send e-mails from specific vendors and customers to those folders, effectively segregating and prioritizing them. It’s getting easier to dismiss e-mails that aren’t related to specific jobs at hand, simply because of the volume of them, but in doing so you’re also missing out on promotional pricing and discounts.

“We typically have five or six users unsubscribe every time we send out an e-mail; the most we’ve had is 19. What’s interesting is that those who unsubscribe will often go back to the website weeks later to buy some artwork when they could have gotten it for the special promotional rate,” says Dave Dorsey, president of Aurora Graphics, a developer of digital artwork designs for vehicle wraps and graphics, based in Wichita, Kan.

CADlink’s Visual Production Manager acts as a central production hub for all print and cut jobs—whether one is sending jobs to printers or vinyl cutters. Many desktop publishing packages do not address production requirements in a seamless fashion within their software.

CADlink’s SignLab program has tools within it that address the specific requirements of sign makers. For example, it handles both bitmap and vector files—Corel, Photoshop and Illustrator files are compatible.

In this day and age, a methodical and organized method of staying updated with your vendors, and especially software developers, is simply good business. Still, some people have the Felix Unger syndrome when it comes to their e-mail inbox: it must be sparkling clean and clear of anything that doesn’t have to do with customers and projects. As Mark Smith of EstiMate Software in Enka, N.C., notes, “If your spam filters are set too high, you might miss crucial info and updates.” In that case, set aside time to visit key vendors’ websites to find out their latest offerings and updates.

For instance, software developer SA International provides free updates, drivers and profiles by logging onto www.SAintl.biz and clicking the Downloads link. Customers with the latest releases can also use their Check for Software Updates feature in the Help menu of the software, which “phones home” and finds what you might be missing or needing.

This is pretty standard in the industry, but all software developers have a page or pages where the latest updates can be downloaded. It’s a matter of finding where, exactly, they are and creating a Favorites list so that they’re all easily accessed at the same time. “Bookmark the manufacturers’ websites and visit regularly while having a coffee in the morning,” adds CADlink’s Chramtchenko.

For companies in the wrap industry, a yearly software update of some kind is almost mandatory. Companies such as Art Station Vehicle Templates upgrade their vehicle wrap templates with each new model year.

Tracking customer transactions is one feature to be found in the estimating software from EstiMate. It is another way for shops to better control costs and realize profits.

REDUNDANT OR NECESSARY?

In recent years, a large number of sign companies and print shops have apparently decided that software specifically developed for their workflow may be unnecessary or, at best, redundant. In a recent survey conducted by Sign & Digital Graphics magazine, Photoshop users outnumbered users of sign production software (65.1 percent to around 43 percent, with some overlap of respondents using both). The highest proportion of those who responded to the survey use image and logo software specific to the industry (77 percent), while the lowest use sign-and-print estimating software (31 percent).

Five years ago, those numbers were likely quite a bit different. Of course, the industry has changed a lot over the past decade, bringing in a large group of graphics producers that were previously unfamiliar with the sign industry and the industry’s niche product lines.

The changes in the industry, along with the blending of multiple graphics industries into essentially one large-format market, brought with it widespread adoption of desktop-oriented, off-the-shelf design software.

“Photoshop, Corel and Illustrator are all very good products, accomplish a variety of tasks and most of them exist on nearly every single sign maker’s workstation. In many cases they are also less expensive than signmaking software packages. However, these are all products that were originally developed for design-only functionality and also put together for the desktop publishing industry, not large-format layout and design, and certainly not large-format production requirements,” says CADlink’s Chramtchenko. “Signmaking software integrates design and production in a single package and has tools within it that address the specific requirements of sign makers. Also, while Photoshop, for example, is a bitmap software application and Illustrator a vector application, products like SignLab recognize the need of addressing both bitmap and vector design requirements of sign makers and combine these tools all in a single package.”

The integration of any software specific to the industry into a design and production workflow—be it sign and large-format design and production, estimating, digital artwork or a RIP—should be carefully weighed in relation to its return on investment. It’s not a decision to be taken lightly, nor should it be brushed off lightly. You may be missing enhancements to productivity that will save time and money, ultimately boosting profits.

“When we do updates to our product, our main focus is around increasing a shop’s productivity, helping them reduce costs and improving output quality. By keeping current, they’re improving their bottom line. Software is so inexpensive compared to buying new hardware, relatively speaking; it’s a low-cost investment to increase productivity,” says Dean Derhak, product director for Onyx Graphics in Salt Lake City.

Updates for Onyx RIP Production House software—such as the layout tool shown here—are designed to increase productivity, reduce costs and improve output quality.

Onyx’s newest offering, X10 Media Manager, features an automated ink restrictions function.

Certainly, all software companies claim their product will enhance productivity, eliminate waste and drive profits, but the claim is true… depending on the type of work you produce. In other words, forewarned is forearmed, or something like that. As with any product purchase, know what you do and what you need to accomplish it and check all the alternatives. Blindly sticking with the current workflow just because it “works” is not a sustainable long-term strategy.

For instance, when it comes to keeping up with the latest digital artwork, Aurora Graphics’ Dorsey asks, “How important is the art you’re selling? The art is ultimately what the client is buying; the vinyl is simply the means by which to make it stick to their car. If the art doesn’t sell to begin with, you’re not going to sell the vinyl.”

At the very least, you owe it to your business to know what’s being offered, particularly since the artwork available is becoming more sophisticated, in-depth and three-dimensional than it ever has before.

And, since the software companies that develop products specially designed for this industry have a much larger stake in it than, say, Adobe, they’re much more likely to be responsive to your requests for information. Detail your workflow and find out how, exactly, each software package will improve it. Then, weigh the cost against the production enhancements. Will it pay off, and how quickly will it pay off?

Regarding industry-specific estimating software, EstiMate’s Mark Smith says, “If you don’t know what your true overhead costs are and properly bill for your work, then every time you do a quote you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Small adjustments can have a huge effect on profits, because profits are such a small piece of the puzzle. I used to work 10-12 hours a day, which is why I wrote EstiMate. As a result, a lot of shops are not getting the value out of the business they could be. Shops need to get control of their costs and profits and ultimately their lives.”

CADlink’s Chramtchenko adds, “The latest version of a software product always contains enhancements that can either increase the productivity of a business or widen the scope of the products that they are able to offer their customers. Generally speaking, an upgrade to most packages, from the last release to the new release, range in price from $250 to $600. The buyer needs to consider whether or not this investment will pay for itself, and, if so, over what period of time. If a new production feature can save an hour or two per week, or create a scenario whereby it decreases wasted materials, the investment in the upgrade is a no-brainer. Likewise, if there are new design or production tools that enable the user to increase the value of their work or expand into new profit centers, the decision to upgrade should also be an easy one.”

And this is the time to research and inquire about what the various industry-specific software companies can do for your business; 2010 represents a watershed year in software development. Virtually all the software developers are releasing or planning to release significant upgrades and updates to the programs.

This leaves the question of compatibility and ensuring that each piece of production is compatible with each other, from printers and cutters to the basic operating system. There is always a concern when upgrading any portion of production, and software is the critical link in the system.

“Our RIP software works great with Windows 64-bit. However, our software doesn’t talk to some of the printers directly; we communicate with it through a DLL, like a USB driver, and some of the older ones may not be Windows 64-bit compatible,” says Onyx’s Derhak. “Some of our customers will buy a new computer when they upgrade, and their printer driver doesn’t work any more, which has nothing to do with the RIP. They need to make sure that when they upgrade, if they’re upgrading hardware and the operating system, they have device drivers that work with their equipment.

Ultimately, any upgrade within your system should include a double-check of the system requirements of all the related components within the system, says Gudrun Bonte, SA International’s product manager. And, as mentioned earlier, these software companies should be responsive to your requests for compatibility help.

“A customer should consider the potential pitfalls prior to updating, not after. A good rule of thumb is to have all your questions listed prior to reviewing the software or viewing a demo session. A few items of importance include: compatibility of the new product with the current output devices the user has installed, compatibility with other software packages that may be used on a regular basis, and any major user interface changes that may have occurred,” says CADlink’s Chramtchenko.

Software Updates

Following is a list of the latest updates and upgrades from companies who contributed to this article:

Aurora Graphics—Ready-made vehicle wrap designs

Bushwolf Professional Camouflage Patterns by Aurora Graphics, available as single-file downloads and on DVD. Package includes 13 distinct camouflage designs. Each pattern is non-repeating (220" x 90' scale) to ensure that the wrapping of even large vehicles is seamless. Bushwolf was created in a virtual 3-D environment. For more information, go to www.auroragraphics.net or call 316-838-2000.

CADlink—Sign-making, RIP and engraving software

SignLab Version 9 sign-making software will be released in October 2010. Other available packages include: Digital Factory V2 RIP software; EngraveLab V8 engraving software; ProfileLab V8 routing software; and FilmMaker V3 inkjet film separation RIP software. For more information, go to www.cadlink.com or call 800-545-9581.

EstiMate Software—Job estimating software

The next version of EstiMate, Estimate 2011, will be released in October 2010. The previous version, Estimate 2, was released in 2008. For more information, go to www.estimatesoftware.com or call 888-304-3300.

Onyx Graphics—RIP and workflow software

ONYX Version X10, released in June 2010, production RIP products: ONYX ProductionHouse, ONYX PosterShop and ONYX RipCenter. For more information, go to www.onyxgfx.com or call 800-828-0723.

SA International—Sign-making and RIP software

Flexi Family 10 and PhotoPRINT Family 10 released in early September 2010. For more information, go to www.saintl.biz or call 800.229.9068.

Sign & Digital Graphics

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